We have now come to the end of the political party conferences – although, what that means I’m not sure. I have avoided Brexit to date in my blogs but really must say a few words. It is an impossible situation and there is no way on earth that I’d want to negotiate the sale of a second-hand car in public*, let alone the most important negotiations in British history. Even if “our side” had one precise and agreed view it would be a nightmare.

I voted Remain – but because I foresaw what is now happening with the negotiations, as opposed to not wanting to leave the EU. Too many countries have joined too quickly, taking too much out with too little in common. The whole thing will implode within a generation, but we needed to be part of it to ensure that the mistakes of Mark 1 were not repeated in Mark 2.

Very few of the people in the EU want a Federal State. True, some politicians in some countries do, but the people don’t and that is at the heart of all the problems. We want a trading bloc, but with the ability to be selective on immigration to keep our populations properly skill balanced in all our countries. We want security and military co-operation, but we are all different. We want to retain our sovereignty and our national identity, but this means pride, not extremism. We want harmony on safety to make sure, for example, that children’s toys are not dangerous, but we do not want a Federal State.

Of course, there will never be a perfect Remain Treaty nor a perfect Leave Agreement. People will not all agree on either. Is no deal better than a bad deal? Well that of course depends on what the bad deal means! We need a deal that cuts the cord and allows us to develop our nation as we wish in harmony with everyone, including all our trading partners in Europe and worldwide. Trade means mutual benefit: it has to. I learnt that on market stalls at a very young age! But it needs to be an agreement that can then evolve (after all the EU itself has evolved), because you cannot unravel 40 years in 2 years. That is not an argument for an indefinite transition period, but saying do the big things now, establish the goal posts and resolve the fall out as quickly as possible.

Leave does mean leave – and it must – but we must also recognise that it is we who have chosen to leave and that the EU as a whole didn’t want that and fear the breakup of the collective if our deal is too good. But what does that tell us? That there is a better way to achieve the original objectives of the founders of the Common Market!

On a lighter note: what a load of clapping nonsense! Yes, the Manchester Student Union has banned clapping! I kid you not! They fear it could trigger anxiety and instead are suggesting the use of “jazz hands” – British Sign Language clapping! There’s a comment on Twitter saying “ridiculous” (which seems tame to me) but it went on to say, “You’re just catering to the illness (anxiety) instead of helping people get over it”. True. I wonder what the RNIB has to say? I suspect blind people rely on the strength of clapping to tell them how things are being received around them.

No wonder the EU think we’ll roll over. What a load of nonsense; we’re losing the plot altogether. The British face problems and help people, we don’t mask the issues but deal with them.

I wasn’t in the public crowds that greeted so enthusiastically the ending of the first and second World Wars, but I actually suspect they didn’t clap much – they cheered and shouted, jumped in the air and hugged each other! Maybe that’s the answer then, but I suppose we first have to understand whose anxiety is being protected, the audience or the people on stage? Ah, I suppose that takes us back to party conferences which is where I began!

* Of course, I’d auction the car to help me get the £30,000 I need to reach £1m raised on my gavel for good causes.